CCC 153-165, 2087-2089: Faith
CCC 84: The deposit of faith given to Church
CCC 91-93: The supernatural sense of faith
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| “Faith” by Giuseppe Angeli, c. 1754 |
Readings and Commentary:[4]
Reading 1: Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4
How long, O Lord? I cry for help
but you do not listen!
I cry out to you, "Violence!"
but you do not intervene.
Why do you let me see ruin;
why must I look at misery?
Destruction and violence are before me;
there is strife, and clamorous discord.
Then the Lord answered me and said:
Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets,
so that one can read it readily.
For the vision still has its time,
presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint;
if it delays, wait for it,
it will surely come, it will not be late.
The rash one has no integrity;
but the just one, because of his faith, shall live.
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Commentary on Hab 1:2-3; 2:2-4
The Prophet Habakkuk, in his oracle, complains against the social abuses taking place in Judah. This takes place before the invasion of King Nebuchadnezzar of the Chaldean empire, who came to invade the region (including Jerusalem) as an instrument of God’s punishment. The selection combines the initial lament of Habakkuk and the Lord’s response from the second chapter, telling the prophet to be patient, that the Lord is answering his plea. In chapter 2, the prophet tells the people that those who have faith in God's warning and are patient will see salvation (but the just one, because of his faith, shall live[v.2:4]).
"St Jerome's interpretation takes account of both the original audience and the Christian readership: 'If your faith is weak and you begin to doubt that what was promised will come about, you will cause my soul great displeasure. But the just man, who believes in my word and never doubts the promises I make, will receive eternal life as his reward […]. It is clear that these words contain a prophecy of the coming of Christ. The problem they contain will be resolved by him: sin will triumph and punishment be never-ending until He comes, (Commentarii in Abucuc, 2, 4)." [5]
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
R. (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the Lord who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
"Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works."
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
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Commentary on Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
This part of Psalm 95, commonly used as the invitatory psalm for the Liturgy of the Hours, is a song of thanksgiving. In these strophes the incident at Meribah is remembered (Exodus 17:3-7), and God’s undeserved mercy proclaimed. The community is rejoicing that the Lord is God and that he has brought us salvation in spite of our forebears' obstinacy. We are encouraged to listen to the Lord, even if what we are asked to do is difficult.
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Reading II: 2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14
Beloved:
I remind you, to stir into flame
the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.
For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice
but rather of power and love and self-control.
So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord,
nor of me, a prisoner for his sake;
but bear your share of hardship for the gospel
with the strength that comes from God.
Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me,
in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy Spirit
that dwells within us.
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Commentary on 2 Tm 1:6-8, 13-14
St. Paul reminds his student that he has been given great strength in the grace given through the imposition of hands (his ordination). He exhorts St. Timothy to boldly proclaim what was then the controversial message: that Jesus is the Christ, and that the Jews and Gentiles in Timothy’s region should turn to this new belief and understanding. St. Paul reminds Timothy that he should expect difficulty and hardship as a consequence of speaking out, but he (Timothy) should turn to the Holy Spirit for strength.
CCC: 2 Tm 1:6 1577, 1590; 2 Tm 1:8 2471, 2506; 2 Tm 1:12-14 84; 2 Tm 1:13-14 857; 2 Tm 1:14 1202
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Gospel: Luke 17:5-10
The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
The Lord replied,
"If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
"Who among you would say to your servant
who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,
'Come here immediately and take your place at table'?
Would he not rather say to him,
'Prepare something for me to eat.
Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.
You may eat and drink when I am finished'?
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you.
When you have done all you have been commanded,
say, 'We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.'"
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Commentary on Lk 17:5-10
The disciples ask Jesus to show them how to increase their faith. The Lord responds to them, telling them that once they have tapped into that power (of faith) amazing things can happen. Then, almost as a caution, he adds the concluding saying. "'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'” “ These sayings of Jesus, peculiar to Luke, which continue his response to the apostles' request to increase their faith (Luke 17:5-6), remind them that Christian disciples can make no claim on God's graciousness; in fulfilling the exacting demands of discipleship, they are only doing their duty.” [6]
CCC: Lk 17:5 162
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Homily:
There was a recent incident where a person was driving down Main Street at the morning rush hour, and right behind him was a woman driving who was clearly in a much greater hurry to get to her destination than was the person in front. She was right on that person’s bumper. As fate would have it (and I’m pretty sure the city engineers planned it), the lights were all against them. Each one they came to went red as they approached. The woman behind the other person’s car was getting more and more aggravated at each succeeding stop. And, the person in front could not help but notice that the car behind was literally inches from the rear bumper. Finally, they came to a light that had just gone yellow and the person in front, being a cautious soul, stopped. This caused the woman behind to react, as many of us have seen, with highly impatient drivers. She began gesturing (inappropriately) and calling obscenities out the window of her car.
Unbeknownst to her, a police cruiser was right behind her and the officer, witnessing the lady’s outburst, put on her lights and puller the woman over. Not only was the woman asked for her normal documents but she was put into the back of the cruiser for a good fifteen minutes. At the end of that time, the officer said she was free to go. This, of course, elicited another out burst from the woman who said, “Why was I detained for so long. I’ll have you know I’ve missed a very important meeting because of you.”
The officer calmly replied, “Ma’am, when I saw your car with the fish symbol on the back and the bumper sticker saying ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and then saw your reaction at the light toward the driver in front of you, I naturally assumed the car must have been stolen.”
Today, Sacred Scripture reminds us that we also need to prove our faith through actions. In the first reading from the Book of the Prophet Habakkuk, the prophet first complains to God about the situation among the Hebrews: “Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and clamorous discord.” He then tells the people about the Lord’s response and that he is very upset by the laxness of their faith that allows them to ignore the law set down in scripture. He tells them that things have gotten so bad that a great punishment is coming. At the very end of that passage we get the real warning: “The rash one has no integrity; but the just one, because of his faith, shall live.” In that short statement the prophet tells the reader that those who fail to follow God’s commands will suffer, but those who have faith and act on that faith will have salvation.
In the second reading from the Second Letter to Timothy, St. Paul tells his protégé that he must also cling to the Holy Spirit and be faithful to what God has called him to through his ordination: “Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.” Once again, not just faith, but living out the promise of faith.
Finally, in the Gospel, we hear the disciples asking Jesus, "Increase our faith." And what did Jesus reply? He told them that if they had a fraction of the faith that Jesus had in them, they would be able to move mountains.
The message is very clear today. Our faith and trust in God colors all of our actions.
In the old days (before the internet) there was something fairly common among medical students called “illness anxiety disorder” or “somatic symptom disorder.” The issue arose as students studying medical texts on diagnosis would suddenly start to believe they had somehow contracted the disease about which they were studying. Some of them actually became quite ill, even with some very exotic illnesses.
With the advent of the internet, this has been somewhat compounded with a rash of what is commonly known as “hypochondria.”
What is interesting about this is that the patient’s belief that they are ill, can actually make them ill.
This is a great example of what faith can do for a person. If you sincerely believe that God, through his Son and the Holy Spirit, are watching over you and guiding you, it will impact all that you do, at home, at school, or at work. Your certain knowledge (faith) will give you a peace and serenity that will be so obvious that others will comment.
One of the places I frequently encounter this peace is among the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. Invariably they seem to be filled with happiness, if not outright joy. Even in difficult situations, faith seems to allow them to stay calm, unflustered, and assured. It is because they have so embraced the love of God that it can’t remain hidden.
Of course there are others, some to a greater extent and others, lesser. But when you encounter a person who has allowed their faith to completely take over in their lives, it is recognizable. The challenge for all of us is, how do we get there?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church has some interesting things to say about faith. Let’s take doubt for example. We all have doubt about our faith in God and Christ. But here are various types of doubt.
CCC 2088 The first commandment requires us to nourish and protect our faith with prudence and vigilance, and to reject everything that is opposed to it. There are various ways of sinning against faith:
Voluntary doubt about the faith disregards or refuses to hold as true what God has revealed and the Church proposes for belief. Involuntary doubt refers to hesitation in believing, difficulty in overcoming objections connected with the faith, or also anxiety aroused by its obscurity. If deliberately cultivated doubt can lead to spiritual blindness.
It’s important to recognize that very last statement: If deliberately cultivated doubt can lead to spiritual blindness. Spiritual blindness will manifest itself in the same way hypochondria does. If you believe something deeply, it will show and you will feel it.
Conversely, if you fight against your doubts, using your rational mind to understand the revealed truth that is God’s gift and promise, that too will show. We will be able to take the “leap of faith” and give our lives to God’s greater glory.
Our challenge today is to nourish our faith and to cling to our beliefs when they are challenged. And as the Lord points out numerous times, we will be challenged. We pray today that our faith will sustain us and will lead others to the truth of Christ Jesus.
Pax
In other years on this date: Optional Memorials for Saint Bruno, Priest or
Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher, Virgin [In the Dioceses of the United States]
From the Common of Virgins, or from the Common of Holy Men and Women For Religious
[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture today is “Faith” by Giuseppe Angeli, c. 1754.
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] The Navarre Bible: “Minor Prophets,” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, pp. 241-42.
[6] NAB footnote on Luke 17:7-10.
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